New Delhi: With the Union government concentrating on the immunization program when the COVID-19 vaccination process starts, experts on Thursday said individuals who are at higher risk of infections, for example, healthcare and frontline workers, followed by the older and those under 50 with comorbidities should be vaccinated first.
As per Bishnu Panigrahi, Group Head, Medical Strategy, and Operations at Fortis Hospital, frontline healthcare workers will be the first ones to get COVID-19 vaccination.
He said to IANS: “Next should be all those involved in public services like municipal workers, those manning public transport, frontline police personnel, those manning essential services like electricity, water supply, and disaster management staff.”
Panigrahi added: “Then there should be an age above which all will be vaccinated and those with certain comorbid conditions, irrespective of age, will be vaccinated. Finally, all citizens will be vaccinated.”
As of late, Union Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said that 30 crore individuals have been listed in prioritized population groups, which includes one crore healthcare workers, two crore personnel from the police department, home guard, armed forces, civil defence organization, and 27 crore individuals over the age of 50 and under 50 with comorbidities.
Speaking to IANS, Nikkhil K Masurkar, Executive Director, ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, a Mumbai situated pharmaceutical organization, said that the main priority should be given to the healthcare workers, followed by frontline workers, the older population, and those under 50 with comorbidities.
The Union Health Ministry had stated that 1.54 lakh vaccinators or auxiliary nurse midwives will administer the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals under the universal immunization program when the vaccination process starts.
Dr Shiba Kalyan Biswal, Consultant, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Narayana Hospital in Gurugram, said to IANS that as far as rapid virus spread is concerned immunocompromised patients, diabetic patients along with chronic lung, liver, kidney disease patients, doctors and healthcare staff should be first in the priority list to get this.
As indicated by Dr Neha Gupta, Infectious Diseases Physician at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, it should be prioritised for individuals who are at higher danger of infections and a higher danger of adverse results – healthcare workers, the elderly, obese patients, patients with heart diseases.
Other than this, essential strategies for the vaccination program include orderly, smooth implementation directed by technology, no trade-off on existing healthcare services, guaranteeing individuals’ participation and no trade-off on scientific and regulatory standards.
With 31,521 new COVID-19 cases and 412 death in the previous 24 hours, India’s general count remained at 97,67,371 on Thursday, while the death toll arrived at 1,41,772, the Health Ministry stated.
Till now 92,53,306 individuals have recuperated, while there are 3,72,293 ongoing cases. The recuperation rate remains at 94.74 per cent, and the casualty rate is 1.45 per cent.
